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2003 RB LD
Hi,
I am Dave and I am in the market for a used LD.  I have been interacting with the seller and the seller had sent me additional photos via email of the roof of his 2003 LD RB.  Based on these photos, what are your thoughts and opinions.  Please share your thoughts. Thank you 
2003 RB
Re: 2003 RB LD
Reply #1 –
My guess is that is the original and or first round of resealing.  My '88MB currently has a cracking 22x22 shower dome and  cracking 26x26 escape hatch cover.  I resealed the Roof rail mounts with self leveling lap joint sealant as the previous lap joint sealant was beyond the normal non sag wrinkling, with cracking and rust was showing through.  
other commenters my know better as the '88 is my first class C.

Rod
'88MB
Rodney
1988 Mid Bath
Re: 2003 RB LD
Reply #2 –
Thank you for your response.  If i buy this RV, do you think it needs to be recaulked immediately?  I value your opinions because I'm not too familiar with RV.  Thank you     - Respectfully Dave.
2003 RB
Re: 2003 RB LD
Reply #3 –
Being stored indoors is a major plus.
Since it was new, do you know?

Eternabond on the roof seams is a fairly inexpensive and easy project.

Ed
Re: 2003 RB LD
Reply #4 –
We are the original owners of a 2003 26.5'RB presumably similar to the one you are considering. Ours has about 100,000 miles and has been stored indoors except for it's first year of life and travel.

We just had the roof resealed for the first time in May 2016. That was done by the LD factory. They resealed everything, roof seams, vents, luggage rack supports, solar panel supports and antenna mounts with the sealant they use on new models today.

Based on our coach I would say that the one in the photos still has the original factory sealant and has not been resealed. And yes, it should probably be resealed soon, based on my experience with ours. From what I gathered from Vince at the factory a critical indicator is whether the heads of any of the screws in the side caps (that join the roof to the sides) are protruding through the sealant. That doesn't mean it's leaking, just that it's time to get on with resealing.

There is a lot of information here about resealing with Eternabond, something a careful DIY owner can do. But it must be done carefully and correctly. You could also plan a trip out west to have the factory reseal it. Ours took less than a week and cost about $1800, to me a small price to pay given the importance of this to the longevity of the coach, the cost of replacing the coach, etc. We dropped the coach off on Monday, took our toad for a visit to San Diego, and picked the coach up on Friday.

What I would not do is have someone with no familiarity with LD motorhomes reseal it in some way that is non-standard and non-tested on a LD. For instance a rubber roof, or some sort of slathered on coating. Furthermore I would always consult with Vince at the LD factory to get his input on any major maintenance or repair like this. Poorly done repairs usually just make the inevitable proper job harder and more expensive.

If this coach has spent most of its life indoors then I would say the sealant is probably OK but nearing or at the end of its life. A good indicator of how it has been stored would be the condition of the paint. All LD paints fade outdoors unless meticulously maintained.

If it has been stored outdoors for extended periods then the sealant may have problems at this age. In which case I'd want to do a careful examination for any evidence of water intrusion. Talk to Vince about what to look for.

Finally, if you can find a LD that has spent all or nearly all of its life indoors I think it would merit careful consideration. That is more the exception than the rule and in my opinion there is nothing better for a vehicle, especially a LD, than to be kept out of the sun and weather as much as possible. Chassis and drivetrain repairs are relatively straightforward and always necessary at some point anyway. But coach repairs, especially water damage, are much more difficult, require uncommon expertise in the coach being repaired and even if done well the coach will never be the same. If I had to choose between a LD that needed a new engine and transmission and one that had leaky coachwork I'd take the former every time.

We love our RB. It is not LD's most popular model (that would be the MB) but it is eminently practical, with an oversize bath and everything in one big room creating a spacious open feeling that we really enjoy. And our 2003 has proven very reliable and that year had some important upgrades that we appreciate (thermal pane windows and a quieter generator for example). I hope your hunt for a LD is successful.

Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV
Re: 2003 RB LD
Reply #5 –
To Ed:
The seller stated that he kept the LD indoor 50% of the time since he had purchased it back in 2003, and despite the fact that caulking needs to be done, he states that LD has never leaked.     And yes I got a quote for $700.00 for RV service shop to reseal the roof with Eternalbond. 

To Terry:
Terry...THank you for your sharing your extensive knowledge of LD.  Greatly appreciated!!

2003 RB
 
Re: 2003 RB LD
Reply #6 –
" And yes I got a quote for $700.00 for RV service shop to reseal the roof with Eternalbond."

Should you be so inclined, the Eternabond project is a straightforward DIY job  for less than $200 in materials and two days labor.

Here is an article from the Companion about it.

The Lazy Daze Companion: eternabond

Ed